Design and Construction
Mills gave the Picnic Cat a plumb bow and nearly vertical transom. Its waterline therefore comes within inches of the 14-foot overall length, helping the boat carry its length in usable platform. The sheer is pleasant, with a high bow section flowing aft to a slight lift at the stern.
The fiberglass is entirely hand-laid and has a sturdy feel. The centerboard is a 1/4-inch stainless steel plate, while the stainless trunk is covered with mahogany. Together, the board and trunk weigh 100 pounds—most of that in the board. That’s a large share of the boat’s 500-pound displacement and accounts for much of its settled composure.
With the centerboard raised and the rudder folded, the hull draws just 6 inches. That makes beach landings a genuine option rather than a fantasy.
Rig and Handling
The gaff rig sits low. Its low center of effort works with the hull’s nearly flat deadrise to produce tremendous form stability.
The mast folds just above the gooseneck on a permanently attached hinge. A locking system keeps it rigid while sailing, and the hinge serves as a tabernacle, making the mast easy to raise. The sails and stays remain attached to the mast during storage.
The mainsheet runs from mid-boom through a four-part tackle to a cam cleat on the centerboard trunk. One person can handle both mainsheet and tiller without difficulty. The Picnic Cat sails with nearly neutral helm until it’s pinched to windward. As the wind builds, so does the weather helm; easing the peak halyard to scandalize the rig reduces that tendency.
The aluminum rudder is deep rather than far aft and hinges upward for beaching. However, the tiller passes through a horizontal opening in the transom, which makes a tiller hinge awkward to engineer. The tiller itself is varnished and laminated.
Cockpit, Storage, and Auxiliary Power
The self-draining cockpit is 9 feet 6 inches long and framed by a large bench seat with a high back rest. Lifting the seats reveals a cavernous storage area.
A teak seat amidships on the transom neatly conceals a 3-gallon auxiliary tank. Seat cushions are optional. Buyers can choose either two long cushions spanning the seat or six smaller cushions that stow beneath it.
An outboard bracket is standard. Most owners report that the Honda 2HP four-stroke is their engine of choice, with the long-shaft version preferred to keep the propeller immersed in a seaway.
Verdict
The Picnic Cat is a focused design: a 14-foot, 500-pound, shallow-draft picnic boat with a folding gaff mast, steel centerboard, and a cockpit that doubles as a storage trunk. It suits sailors who want minimal rigging and maximum beach access, and it handles short-handed with neutral manners until pressed.
Pros
- Tabernacle hinge makes the folding mast easy to raise solo; sails and stays remain attached
- 6-inch draft with the centerboard raised and rudder folded allows genuine beach landings
- Tremendous form stability from the nearly flat deadrise and low center of effort
- Long, self-draining cockpit with cavernous storage beneath the seats
Cons
- Weather helm builds as the wind increases and requires scandalizing the rig to control
- The tiller’s route through the transom opening makes a hinge difficult to engineer
- Minimal accommodations; cushions are optional, and the engine is owner-supplied
